The present invention relates to a fiber, for reinforcing concrete or similar materials, made of wire or flat strip material, especially made from steel, whereby the fibers have a substantially linear center section and hook-shaped bent end sections.
Fibers of the aforementioned kind for intermixing with initially soft, curable material such as concrete are known in various embodiments. In most cases such fibers are comprised of a substantially linear piece of wire with hook-shaped deformations on both ends, whereby the ends can be angularly or circularly deformed or in the form of a closed circle. A primary requirement for such fibers is that their deformation does not impart a disadvantageous effect on their miscibility, that, on the other hand, a good binding characteristic within the hardened material can be achieved, and that they are producible in an inexpensive manner. The substantial fulfillment of one of these requirements, such as the improvement of its binding qualities, may result in the miscibility properties as well as the manufacturing cost being disfavorably affected.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved fiber of the aforementioned kind with respect to substantially fulfilling the aforementioned three basic requirements. A further object of the present invention is to provide a suitable device for manufacturing such fibers.